Burton Coffman relates a story from William Barclay’s commentary in which an ancient heathen man hated a particular righteous man. His reason was thus stated once to the righteous man: The man guilty of a lifestyle of debauchery said to the much more upright individual, “I hate you; because every time I meet you, you show me what I am.”
If honesty were inescapable, this statement would be repeated many times over from the lips of those wicked souls who persecute the righteous. Sometimes the simple living of a righteous life is provocative enough to get the unrighteous quite angry. Christians trying to humbly follow their God may receive every form of persecution from tongue-lashings to physical scourging just because those who are not trying to humbly follow God do not like it that some are. In many cases, Christians have neither been arrogant nor confrontational about the differences of lifestyle. It is just that the immoral see an indictment of their depraved lifestyle when they encounter one who has learned to exercise self-control.
The Bible warned that this would be the case and told Christians how to respond. Christians should be ready to answer their opponents, and continue to keep “a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Peter 3:15-16).
It is disturbing, but should not be surprising to Christians, that some non-Christians would despise their lifestyle. Peter reminded, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Jesus gave similar warnings in John 15:18-19 and 16:1-2.
This unique trend has its other, more subtle references in Scripture. Consider that Noah “condemned the world.” “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
Yet, how did Noah condemn the world? Strictly according to this verse, it was by his righteous, obedient act of “preparing an ark” at God’s instructions. Yes, Noah had done some preaching, but his simple righteousness was enough to pass judgment on the world’s wickedness.
Consider Luke 11:32: “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.” How, literally, would dead men from Nineveh’s prior time rise up and condemn the generation of Jesus? Literally, it would not be. However, figuratively, they had already done so. They were a generation that quickly did an about-face in response to the preaching of a prophet of God. Jesus’ generation showed no signs of doing so. Those who did the right thing condemned those who did not—just by doing the right thing.
Christians need to be, by definition, humble servants of God. They should seek to avoid antagonism with those in the brotherhood of man. They should not provoke a fight with stinging words or malicious intent. Though, if this peaceful attitude does not eliminate all persecution, then they should heed the simple words of 1 John 3:13, “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”
